Blake Armani
Blake Armani is the Victor of the 43rd Hunger Games. Games Description Arena: Candyland Blake drew first blood in the Games, impaling Steven Gilbert Kraft when he attacked her ally Alex Laguna Kraft. Though she was unable to stop Steven before Alex was fatally wounded, she avenged her friend's killer. She also killed Scarlett Cardell before the Bloodbath was over. Blake took a less aggressive approach to the Games than many Careers. Instead of honor or glory, she volunteered for the Games in order to prove to herself that she was strong enough to survive. Because of this, she was not overeager to fight, but she joined the Career hunts because that's what Careers do. After Icarus Aguilar, her ally and perhaps biggest competition, was killed by a gummy bear mutt, Blake saw her chances increasing and became more confident. The next to fall to her claws was Brenna Segale, who nearly succeeded in luring Blake into a mutt's clutches. She then svagely killed Tullia Havana in a fit of rage after the girl cut off her ally and friend Ember Steiner's finger. When there were four Tributes left, the Gamemakers held a mandatory feast. Ember hatched a plan, which Blake carried out. Ember had killed May Wilda at the feast, and Blake took advantage of her cannon. She smeared herself with May's blood and pretended to have been poisoned by the food at the feast. When Keison Walker ventured closer to obey the Gamemakers, Blake sprang up and killed him. After this, Blake suffered an enormous loss when Volvo Courvaile poisoned and killed Ember. This sent Blake into a rage, but she did not lose her head. She armored herself with fabric to avoid Volvo's blowdarts and rampaged through the Arena, screaming to attract his attention. When Volvo attacked, Blake followed the trajectory of his darts and retaliated. She pinned him to the ground with her claws and brutalized him in her rage, stabbing him again and again with his own blowdart so he would know how it felt. As he died, Blake realized the horror of what she was doing and recoiled in guilt, but it was too late for Volvo, who died and left Blake as Victor. Personality Before the Games, Blake was a cunning fighter who knew that no threat was too small to ignore. More than anything else, she prided herself on strength and durability. The desire to prove that to herself was what drove her to volunteer. As she was killing Volvo Courvaile, Blake had a painful revelation. She had always hated people who took pleasure in hurting others, in no small part due to her own experiences with such people. Seeing what she did to Volvo made her realize she had become that person, and she was overcome with horror and guilt, changing her personality forever. Immediately after the Games, Blake was despondent with the weight of her actions in the Games. She considered herself an unworthy Victor and knew there was no way to undo what she did. The unflagging support of her fellow Victors and her boyfriend Platinum, both of whom were happy she came home and were proud of her, has helped her start to heal, though it is unlikely she will ever be as enthusiastic a mentor as her fellow Careers. Post-Games, Blake has largely withdrawn to the Victor's Village with her friends and family. She prefers a less publicized life until she works through her feelings about her Games. Relationships Estrella Vasquez Blake was an attentive and grateful mentee before the Games began, and she was thankful for the support Estrella provided through advice and sponsor gifts. After the Games. Blake felt a disconnect due to Estrella's much more bloodthirsty personality, but she is still friends with her mentor and spent much of her post-Games Capitol time with Estrella. Boyfriend Blake's first boyfriend was physically and emotionally abusive, often attacking her and leaving unexposed injuries. It is because of him that Blake came into the Games fearing men and distrusting her ally Icarus. Blake's first boyfriend is now dead, killed by her current boyfriend Platinum. Platinum Platinum is responsible for killing Blake's abusive boyfriend. He did this not out of love at the time, but simply a sense of decency. He is laid-back and supportive, two things Blake desperately needs. Having been raised in One, he sees nothing wrong with the Games and thinks no differently of Blake for her actions in them. Alex Laguna Kraft Blake's ally from District Four was a polarizing presence. Alex was a raging misandrist who sought to gain Blake as a partner in her plans to kill all the males in the Arena. Blake was in the Games to win, not for a gender grudge match, but she connected to Alex because of their shared past of abuse. Blake leaped to her ally's defense in the Bloodbath and killed her brother and murderer Steven Kraft, and Alex's death saddened her throughout the Games. Ember Steiner After Alex's death, Blake quickly gravitated toward Ember, her ally from Two. The two girls formed a dyad that excluded Icarus Aguilar, who was already an unconventional Career. After his death, Ember and Blake were the deadliest pair in the Arena, killing nearly every Tribute that did not die by mishap. The two Careers had much in common and a genuine friendship developed that reached so far that the two shared sponsor gifts. Both were worried about the possibility of being the only two left, and it was a cruel mercy to Blake when Ember was felled by Volvo's poison dart. It was this event that drove Blake to the state of unbridled rage that led to her killing Volvo so brutally. Successful Mentorships None Talent Dancing Trivia * Blake's teeth were so damaged by a constant sugar diet in the Arena that they were removed and replaced with porcelain copies. She is self-conscious about this. She also lost her hair, the loss of which is lessened by the fact that it will grow back. * Blake is an excellent cook. * Blake is the first to use her weapon of clawed gloves. It is anticipated use of the weapon will skyrocket as Career hopefuls emulate her.